


change of heart

by wubbo



Category: Thomas the Tank Engine - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Arguing, Confessions, Crushes, Fluff, Friendship, Getting Together, Humor, M/M, One Shot, Relationship(s), Romance, angst (maybe?)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27188827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wubbo/pseuds/wubbo
Summary: James throws rocks at Thomas’s window. Thomas barely even wants to see him, let alone let him into his bedroom, but he does anyway.
Relationships: James/Thomas the Tank Engine
Kudos: 8





	change of heart

**Author's Note:**

> Over the summer my friends and I watched all the Thomas movies together over Discord. I started this fic towards the end of those watch parties and only finished it recently. I almost kept it to myself because it was a bit embarrassing of a thing to write, but I decided life’s too short to care if shipping cartoon trains is embarrassing. 
> 
> There’s a few details about this AU that I didn’t end up putting in the fic since they didn’t feel important to the scene. I’ll talk about them in the end notes in case anyone’s interested. I probably won’t write more TTTE fic in the future, so it’s not like saying them will spoil anything lol

If someone a year ago had told James he’d be throwing rocks at one of Principal Hatt’s windows, he would’ve laughed in their face and tripped them up a flight of stairs. He may be a troublemaker, but he liked to think he had _some_ sense of self preservation. Anyone dense enough to think he’d go that far wasn’t worth his time.

Yet there he was, pebbles in hand, looking up at the second story.

James tried to console himself a bit. Yes, Hatt would be trying to sleep, but his bedroom was on the other side of the house! He couldn’t hear a rock hitting a window on the complete opposite side...Could he? The students _did_ always say that he had eyes in the back of his head...but that was just a joke! He wasn’t superhuman! He was just a portly old man! A portly old man with the scariest glare you’ve ever seen, but still! That’s all he was!

Besides, it was Thomas who was actually in the doghouse. James wasn’t willing to wait until Monday to tease him about it. That’s why he absolutely needed to get inside. 

He threw the first rock. It hit near the window, but not on the glass. He cursed under his breath and threw the second. That one hit, but there was no response. James had to throw two more before he saw the light flick on in the room. He quickly reached up and fussed with his hair, dropping the rest of the pebbles.

“James? What are you doing?” There was Thomas! His head was just barely poking out the window. He wasn’t clueless enough to speak too loudly, which James was thankful for. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

James smirked. “I left around 11! Can’t be _that_ late!” he called back, trying to use the same hushed tone.

“You- Just- Ugh! What do you want?”

“Throw down the ladder!”

“Wh- No! The whole reason I’m stuck in here is-“

“I’ll just keep throwing rocks until you do, Rapunzel!”

Thomas huffed and rolled his eyes, pulling back into the house. James grinned when he finally saw the rope ladder dropping down off the window sill. He climbed it carefully. Then, as quiet as he could, he slipped into Thomas’s bedroom. He took a moment to pull the ladder back inside and close the window. Any trace that he’d arrived was hidden.

This wasn’t the first time the two had snuck James into Thomas’s bedroom. Regardless, James still found himself shocked at how childlike the room was. The bed was short and had island themed sheets. His walls held posters of trains and decade old animated movies.When James had gotten to high school, he was practically begging for his dads to let him redecorate his own room. He didn’t want any “kiddy stuff”. It was one of the many ways the two were different. James supposed Thomas was still clinging to those younger years a bit. The reason for this was unknown to him. It certainly explained why he still bickered like a little kid, though. 

“Okay, you’re up!” Thomas hissed. “Will you tell me what you’re here for now?”

James pouted. “Can’t a guy check in on his friend? His good, good friend?”

“Not when the guy is the reason the friend is grounded! I hardly even want to speak to you!”

“Ouch! Ooh! That stings!” James plopped down onto Thomas’s bed. “It’s not that big a deal! Sure Pops is a bit strict, but you’re gonna get the preferential treatment. Why, if he’d caught _me_ -!”

“But it was _your_ idea to skip class! I didn’t want to but you wouldn’t let it go, James! And just like I thought, you’re going to be a jerk now that _I’m_ the one being punished for it!” 

James, having not quite expected how hard he was being chewed out, paused. He really wanted to tease, but he didn’t think Thomas was _this_ mad! Usually Thomas just got a little annoyed, but this felt more serious. “I just...I thought it was a bit funny was all...” he mumbled.

Thomas grit his teeth. “Of _course_ you did. Hilarious.” Regardless of his anger, he still sat beside James. He wouldn’t look him in the eye, but he sat beside him. 

James twiddled his thumbs. Thomas glanced at him, then quickly away again. He was already relaxing and his expression was already softening. Whether or not he deserved it, Thomas could never stay mad at James for very long. 

“I...I didn’t know getting in trouble would hurt you this much,” James admitted. “I’m kind of used to getting scolded by now, but you’re not like that. I’m sorry.”

“It’s...” Thomas pursed his lips. “Well, it’s not _fine_ , but I’ll accept the apology. I knew when we started hanging out that you were trouble, so I shouldn’t be so surprised.”

James winced. “...Did you...have fun, at least?” He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. “I thought a trip to the fair would be good for you. You’re always so stressed out about getting your schoolwork done and making yourself useful here at home. I just...wanted you to relax for a bit and I thought spending the day with me would help.”

Thomas heaved out another sigh as he fell onto his back. “...That’s sweet.” He finally cracked a smile as he looked up at James. “Well. As sweet as you can get.”

“Hey! I’m trying to be nice here!”

“I know.”

There was a pause. James lightly gripped the sheets beneath him. Though the air was still thick was tension, there was also something warm and cozy about this situation. James was rarely ever allowed into Hatt’s house to begin with, so the few times he found himself in Thomas’s room were special. It either made him feel extremely lucky to have Hatt let him in, or it felt like the most delightful secret when he snuck in like this. It made him happy to think that Thomas was still willing to share such a secret with him, even when James had been a huge pain.

“You didn’t answer my question,” James said, finally breaking the silence. “Did you have fun at the fair?”

Thomas smiled again. “I did. I haven’t been to one since I was 8.” He sat back up and began to rummage through his pocket. He eventually pulled out a small keychain with a stuffed duck attached to it. He hung it off his finger and let the duck swing back and forth. “This was almost worth the punishment.” 

James puffed out his chest. He’d won that key chain for Thomas. Even if it meant he didn’t do well enough to get a proper stuffed animal, getting any prize at all from a rigged carnival game _had_ to be impressive. “You’re welcome! I knew how much you wanted one and, being the excellent ring tosser I am, I did what I had to!” he gloated.

“Oh!” Thomas giggled. “Oh, you’re a tosser alright! 

“Come on! That was hardly even clever!”

And then Thomas was completely in stitches, hunched over and wheezing. It was a relief to hear. No matter how much he poked and prodded at Thomas, no matter how much he pushed the other away, James love the sound. He heard it so many times while they were at the fair. He’d barely been able to focus on the carnival music or the games or even the taste of the cotton candy they shared. All his brain could process was Thomas’s laugh and how much James wanted to hear it again and again.

Thomas seemed to notice that James was thinking about something very hard, as he straightened up and tried to stifle the last of his giggles. “I can see the gears turning,” he said. “Is something wrong?”

“No, I...” James gulped. “Nothing. I just...had a lot of fun at the fair too. I’m still sorry you got in trouble, but I wouldn’t have been as happy being there with anyone else. You’re the only person that...that knows the way I joke, and knows the things I’m good at.”

Thomas seemed puzzled by this. “That can’t be true! You’ve plenty of other friends, haven’t you? And as you’re so quick to remind me-“ he said as he gave James a nudge. “-you’re good at a lot of things.”

“I am, but not the important things. The things I really ought to be good at.”

Thomas sighed. He gave James a small and incredulous smile. It was one that urged James to finally say what he’d been thinking all day, perhaps what he’d been thinking since awhile before. 

“What do you think you need to be good at?”

James lightly grasped Thomas’s hand in his own. “I-“

_ CREAK! _

The boys froze. Thomas glanced from their joined hands to his bedroom door, panicking. James quickly tore away and, as he’d done several times in the past, rolled beneath Thomas’s bed and closed his hands over his nose and mouth. The creaking of the hallway floorboards got louder and closer until the door finally opened.

“What are you doing still up? It’s past your bedtime!”

“S-Sorry, sir! But I was having trouble sleeping so I’ve been doing some stretches! I’m sorry if I woke you!”

“Don’t worry about that; you didn’t wake me. I was already getting up to use the restroom and saw your light was still on.” Topham Hatt squinted a bit. He glanced around Thomas’s room, seemingly searching for something out of place. After a few seconds, he seemed content. “Alright, well...do try to get some rest. You have much to do around the house tomorrow to make up for your little stunt!”

“I’ll do my best to be useful, sir!”

Hatt gave a nod and closed the door again. Thomas got up and turned off the lights, quickly returning to his bed and sitting on it in silence. He and James stayed in place until they heard Hatt’s footsteps slowly leave the bathroom and return to his own bedroom. 

James carefully crawled out. “Thank Goodness,” he whispered even quieter than before. “I thought I got too loud again. Honestly, it’s a miracle he’s never caught me when I’ve snuck in here like this. I must be very stealthy! I bet I could be a proper secret agent at this rate, with one of those fancy-!“

He was cut short by Thomas holding onto his hand, recreating the scene that’d been interrupted. “James, did you have something you wanted to say?”

“Ah! R-Right!” If James was nervous before, he was doubly so now. The atmosphere was much more intimate now that their tones were even more hushed and the lights were off. “Um! I don’t remember!”

“You were saying there was something you weren’t good at?”

“Oh! Mhm! Yes!”

Thomas held his other hand over his mouth, trying to stifle another laugh. “You don’t have to say it, you know,” he assured. “Though I think I might have a guess.”

James gulped. “I doubt it! It was pretty out there! A pretty weird thing for me to say!”

“So you _weren’t_ going to pull some cheesy line about not being able to tell me how you really feel?”

“...You really _do_ know me better than anyone, huh?”

Thomas rolled his eyes. He mumbled, “Should’ve known you’d be such a sap,” ever so quietly, and James could see him leaning his head closer. He held his breath as Thomas slowly pecked him on the forehead. “I’m not too good at saying how I feel either. I hope that helps you understand.”

“I-I think so! Thanks!” James squeaked.

Thomas giggled yet another time. James could hardly believe they had been on such terrible terms when he first arrived. Now they were...Well, he wasn’t sure what they were, but he was afraid to ask at the moment and Thomas was already opening the window and dropping the ladder back down. 

He waved James over. “Come on! I don’t want to risk another check in! Then we’d _really_ be in hot water!”

“Of course, of course.” James stumbled out the window and gripped tightly to t ladder. Just before descending, he looked back up at Thomas and smiled wide. “See you in class?”

Thomas nodded. “You bet! Make sure to bring your pencil this time!” He smirked. “Or any of the pencils I’ve lent you. If you even know where those are.”

“Oh, come off it already!”

James climbed down the side of the house. He escaped the yard and, as soon as he was at a safe distance, turned back to watch Thomas pull the ladder back inside. Then he kept watching until the window closed and Thomas disappeared into the dark bedroom. 

James sort of stared off into space for a minute as he began to think. He’d learned his lesson on trying to get Thomas to sneak around, but maybe they could go to the fair again to make up for this disaster. Was it still in town for the weekend? James really hoped it was. The only thing that would’ve made the first trip better (besides the grounding, of course) was knowing he could hold Thomas’s hand and give him kisses on the cheek as they walked around the rides and games. He was fairly certain that conversation meant he was allowed to do that now. 

With all his giddy energy bubbling out, James flapped one of his hands and began his walk back home.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay here were the extra details I mentioned:
> 
> • The idea was that Topham Hatt adopted Thomas and as a result, Thomas feels kinda indebted to him. He’s obviously willing to sneak around and get into teenage mischief, but he’s very concerned about disappointing Hatt or making him angry.  
> • As a result of said adoption and the move that would have followed it, Thomas joined the school late. He would have a hard time getting close to all the kids who already have made their groups, so James would be one of Thomas’s only friends. I think Percy would still be close to him, but he’d be a grade below, so he sees him less often.  
> • I intended James’s dads to be Gordon and Henry. Actually a lot of the trains would’ve been teachers or other adults with only a few being students like these two.


End file.
